


i could fake it

by itisjosh



Series: living a life of crime isn't always easy [4]
Category: Dreamwastaken
Genre: ...and they were serial killers!, Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Angst, Best Friends, Character Death, Crimes & Criminals, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Ghosts, Hallucinations, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Insomnia, Mild Gore, Murder, Other, Platonic Life Partners, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Serial Killers, Sleep Deprivation, Suicidal Thoughts, This Is Sad, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, minor hallucinations but hey, not really ghosts, they killed people together they were best bros, this is genuinely one of the sadder things i've written, wilbur is a really good friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:47:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26023693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itisjosh/pseuds/itisjosh
Summary: Bad and Skeppy - the famous, dynamic, murderous duo. They never failed, they always got paid, and no one really knew much else about them other than that they were deadly and efficient. And that they were never spotted without the other.Two years later, it's only Bad now, and he doesn't have much of a career anymore. Not after losing his best friend.
Relationships: Zak Ahmed & Darryl Noveschosch
Series: living a life of crime isn't always easy [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1886707
Comments: 61
Kudos: 288





	1. i could fake it

_"Skeppy!"_

_"Bad! Just..go! I'll be fine, get A6d! I'll be okay! Promise!"_

_"Are you-"_

_"Go!"_

Bad closes his eyes, humming softly to himself as he thinks of what he has to do today. He knows that he needs to talk to Will and pick up Techno, but he doesn't think he has much else to do. Which is nice, he doesn't really get days off. He giggles to himself, thinking that's stupid. He shouldn't have a job, not anymore. Not after Skeppy. 

_"Oh, oh no, nononono, Skeppy, Sk- Skeppy, you're okay. You're okay, Skep, you're okay. I've got you, okay? I..I got you, I got you."_

_"It's okay, Bad. I'm alright, I..ow, okay. I'm good. I love you."_

_"I love you too, but that's not..that's not important right now. Come on, Skeppy, you just gotta stand, please, please stand."_

_"I love you Bad. I'm sorry."_

_"Skeppy!"_

He sighs, tapping the limo's steering wheel, frowning at the building in front of him. He's never actually liked Soot Inc. He just goes there because Will needs a lot of rides, and Will's his friend, so he isn't going to say no. It's not like he minds, anyways. It gives him something to do, it gives him somewhere to go. He doesn't really go a lot of places unless one of his friends needs something. And that's okay, he doesn't really have to go places. But it's nice to get out of his house. He doesn't like his house, he really, really doesn't. Bad hates it, purely because it's just _his_ house. It used to be _their_ house. _Their_ limo. _Their_ cars. It was never just _his,_ and he liked it that way. Bad passenger door open, Will sliding in it. The back door opens, and he hears Techno. "Hi!" He beams, turning back so Techno can see that, too.

"Hey, Bad," Techno smiles back. He always does. "How're you today? Anythin' new?"

"Nope," he shakes his head, waiting for Will to close his door. "Hi, Will. Are you okay? You haven't said hi yet."

"I'm fine," Will sighs. "Sorry. Stressed. Hi, Bad."

Bad smiles a little to himself, backing out of the parking lot. "Did you have a good meeting?"

"Yeah," Will breathes out. "Just long. I had to argue a lot with everyone, and then Schlatt came in and started to yell at people, and it was just.." he closes his eyes, shakes his head. "A mess. Can we hit a coffee shop or something? I need caffeine in me."

"Same here," Techno snorts. "The meetin' was way too long. Do you think we even impressed anyone enough to get an offer?"

"I don't know," Will admits. "I hope so." Bad lets them talk and discuss their meeting, even if they probably already talked about it on the way out here. It's fine, he doesn't mind listening. He actually really likes to listen, it helps him take his mind off of everything. He's good at listening, he likes it. He prefers it over talking. He drives for a little, figuring that Will would probably want a more private coffee place, since he's a little famous and all that. His persona is, at least. "Wilbur Soot" is. Will isn't, he's just an ordinary guy who found himself in hot water and then took control of the tap. Bad likes him, he really does. Will helps him out a lot. Especially on his bad days, those are the worst. Those are the days where he's pretty sure he might relapse, might go back to the place where Skeppy..where he passed. Bad tries to stop himself from doing something stupid on those days, but it's hard. It's getting harder, too. The night it happened is coming up, and Bad isn't sure what he's going to do when it comes up. 

"We're here!" He grins, stopping the limo. "I hope this is alright?" He turns to look at Will, who smiles back at him.

"It's fine, Bad. Thank you," he watches Will get out of the car, slamming the door shut. Techno follows, and Bad gets out last, just in case anything happens. "Do you like coffee, Bad?"

"It's okay," he shrugs, holding open the door for his friends. "I don't really like it, but it helps me stay awake." Will frowns at him, and he knows that look. Bad looks away, staring at the ground. He knows that Will doesn't like it when he doesn't sleep for days on end, but he can't _help it_. He knows he shouldn't, and he _likes_ sleep, he really does, but it's too hard. Sleeping just brings nightmares, and Bad is mostly alone when they hit. He doesn't like being alone, especially not in his house. Not when it used to be their house. Whenever Bad had a nightmare in _their_ house, Skeppy was always there to help him come down from it. But now that it's _his_ house, no one's there anymore. And he really, really doesn't like that. 

"Alright," Techno clears his throat, the silence breaking. "I'll order for us. You know what you want, Wilbur? Bad?"

"Just a black coffee."

"I don't mind," he beams. "I like new things," Techno nods, walking up to the barista with a huge smile on his face, looking friendly as ever. His hair is pushed back in a way that doesn't make him look like Techno. "I'm sorry."

Will shakes his head. "I know. It's fine. You really should try to get sleep, Bad. I don't mind coming over, you know. If something happened, I could be there. It beats being alone, doesn't it?" Bad smiles, tapping his foot against the ground, fidgeting a little with his hands. "Bad."

"It does," he admits. "it does. It's hard."

"I know."

"I miss him, Will."

"I'm sorry, Bad."

"It's not your fault," Bad smiles. It's his. It's his fault. He should have never left Skeppy on his own, even if he told him to. Skeppy was strong and smart and clever, but there were _so many_ and he couldn't..he couldn't take all of them. Bad should have stayed, he should have helped his best friend. Even if he died, at least Skeppy might have gotten a chance to live. Maybe if he had stayed he would have died with him. That would have been better than him being alive. A lot of things would have been better if he had died and Skeppy lived. He watches Techno come back, coffees in hand, setting them down on the table. "Thank you!"

"No problem," he shrugs, sliding into the booth next to Will. "Have you heard of Dream?"

Will shrugs. "Vaguely. He's not that important. He doesn't really do much, does he?" Techno snorts, shrugging again.

"He calls himself a heist speedrunner." Will grins, ducking his head. Bad can't help but smile, too. He likes seeing his friends smile, even if it's probably not that genuine. Will doesn't really smile all that often anymore. Bad wishes he did. 

_"Don't worry about me, Bad. I'll be okay."_

_"Skeppy.."_

_"What's the worst that could happen? There's like, two of them. Just go get A6d, and then come back. I'll be fine, promise."_

"Bad?" Techno leans forwards, waving a hand in his face. "Hey. You good there? You kinda blanked. Faded out for a second."

"I'm alright," Bad assures him. "Promise," he smiles. "I think he's kind of cool. He's getting popular by doing something not a lot of other people are doing. I think it's sort of nice." Will shrugs, staring off past him. 

"Maybe," he agrees. "But if he tries and " _speedruns_ " Soot Inc.." Will scoffs. "I'll beat him to death with my bare hands. No one gets to touch my company without me touching their bones." Techno laughs, loud and hearty. Bad giggles a little, mostly at Techno, though. He doesn't really laugh that much, just a periodical snort that's not even out of humour, it's just something he does. 

"Violent, Will. I'm sure he'll be just fine. I think he's probably smart if no one's caught up with him yet, right? He knows what he's doing. He isn't just gonna challenge you suddenly, even if he wants to. I'm sure Soot Inc. will be just fine." Will smiles, taking a long sip of his coffee.

"Hopefully," Bad perks up when Will's phone starts to ring, watching as the other sighs. "I'll be back..maybe. I can walk back," he stares at the number. "Schlatt."

"Oh," Bad sighs. That's important. "Okay. I'll see you soon, Will!" Will smiles at him, quickly exiting the coffee shop, starting to walk back towards his company building. "How're you, Techno?"

Techno shrugs, taking a sip out of his coffee, whatever he got. "I've been alright. Just helpin' Wilbur out, doin' some hits, you know. The usual. Some kid named Tommy's been startin' to annoy me, but I think he's one of Wilbur's, so I might leave him alone. For now. What about you, Bad? What've you been up to? Anythin' interestin'? Excitin'?"

"Not really," he admits. "I just..stay at home a lot. Unless Will or you asks me to go somewhere. It gets lonely," Techno frowns, his eyes narrowing a little. Bad learnt that that didn't mean he was angry, just upset. "Oh, don't look at me like that," Bad laughs. "I'm fine. The place is just empty, that's all," when Techno doesn't let up, Bad sighs, closing his eyes for a second. "I miss him."

"I'm sorry, Bad," Techno leans forwards, patting his shoulder. "Why don't you get out more? Go to the park once and a while. No one can prove anythin', it's not like you'd be arrested as soon as you stepped foot into society," he smiles. "Trust me, I've gotten away with it more than I should've. Takin' walks are nice, they help destress and all that."

"Maybe," he smiles. Taking walks isn't going to fix what happened. But Techno's trying, and that's all that's really important. Bad isn't upset at him for suggesting it, it's not like he really knows. Techno's always been solo, and even though he's friends with Wilbur and him, it's new to him. Bad understands that. He knows that he isn't going to understand what happened to Bad entirely, and that's okay. He won't blame or judge him, Bad wouldn't do that. Not to a friend. "Do you need me to take you anywhere? I might go back home."

"I'll stay here for a bit. I'll get an Uber back. Call me," he frowns. "Seriously, Bad. Call me. I don't care when, but I like talkin' to you. It makes me happy." Bad laughs, ducking his head. 

"Okay," he smiles, facing Techno. "I will. I promise." He means it, too. He'll call Techno, he will. Maybe not as soon as he gets home, but he will. He wouldn't lie to Techno, they're friends. Friends don't lie. Bad gets up, grabbing his coffee as he goes, pressing open the door. The bell jingles when he leaves, and he smiles a little. He's always liked the places that have those little bells. Skeppy hated them, but Bad thought it was cute. He hops in the limo, starting the drive back. He hopes things are normal tonight.

* * *

_"Why are you ignoring me?"_

Bad sighs. Of course things wouldn't be normal, they never are. "Skeppy," he turns to face his best friend, who's covered in blood. His eyes are completely bloodshot, his clothes are stained with fresh and dried blood, some blood is caked on his skin. There are scars running up and down his arms, and Bad knows that they aren't Skeppy's. They're his. "You aren't real, okay? Please stop."

_"Bad..stop pretending I'm not here. I'm real."_

"You aren't!" Bad shouts, turning around, squeezing his eyes shut. Ever since Skeppy died, so many things have gone wrong. So many things have started to happen. "Please stop. Skeppy, please. Please. You wouldn't do this to me, you wouldn't..I know you liked pranks, but please stop. It's gone too far, Skeppy. You have to stop." 

Skeppy stares at him, looking sadder than he has in years. _"Oh. Okay. I'll go."_

"I'm sorry," Bad feels tears prick at his eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't want you to, I love you. I miss you. I'm so sorry."

 _"Okay. Bye, Bad."_ Bad feels a sob rip its way out of his throat and he turns away, covering his mouth with his hand. He misses him so much, he misses Skeppy so, so much. He hates himself so much. He wishes he was better, he wishes he had been better. Bad wishes he had stayed. Bad wishes he had died. He carefully looks back, and Skeppy isn't there. He's gone. Bad feels his throat seize, his eyes watering more. He didn't want Skeppy to go. He never wants Skeppy to go, but when he shows up..Bad sniffles, pushing up his glasses. Skeppy always is with him. But his Skeppy and this Skeppy..they're different, they aren't the same person. His Skeppy wouldn't say the things this Skeppy does. He knows that. He wishes he had his Skeppy, he wishes he wasn't imagining things. Bad wishes he could just sleep and not wake up. 

"I'm sorry," he closes his eyes, stumbling towards his couch. "I'm so sorry, Skeppy. I love you."

_"I know, Bad. It's okay. I love you, too."_

"Skeppy..? Skeppy? Are you.."

 _"Hi,"_ his Skeppy looks at him, no blood whatsoever. No scars. His eyes are bright and his smile is blinding, and his clothes look washed, and.. _his_ Skeppy. It's _his_ Skeppy. _"I'm sorry. You should call him. Whoever you were talking to."_

"But..I have you."

Skeppy frowns at him. _"I know you do. But you can't..I'm not real, and we both know it, Bad. You need to..we have to move on. You have new friends, now. You don't need me."_

"Yes I do, Skeppy!" He protests, shaking his head. "I can't..I can't live without you, Skeppy. I have to have you. I need you," Skeppy sighs, moving to sit next to him. He holds out his arms, and Bad sinks into his hug, closing his eyes. "It feels so real." He coughs, tears burning his cheeks. 

_"I know. I'm sorry. Please, Bad? Please? Call him. You need to talk to someone who isn't me. You need to let me go."_

"I _can't_ , Skeppy," Bad shakes his head, the tears falling faster now. "I can't. Skeppy, I need you. I can't be here without you."

 _"Yes, you can,"_ Skeppy moves back, breaking the hug. _"You can. You're strong. I know you are. You've always been strong. Come on,"_ Skeppy smiles, standing up. _"You're okay. We're letting go, Bad. You'll be okay. I love you."_

"Skeppy," he begs, "please, I'm sorry, please, please. Please don't go."

 _"I love you, Bad."_ He repeats, fading away, his body fading away. 

"I love you, too, Skeppy," Bad watches as he goes. "I love you." 

He's left alone in his house, the memories echoing around him. 


	2. always tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for reference, where the first line is, there's a minor time skip (around 3 months)! just wanted to make that clear before anything :D

Bad slumps against his headboard, staring at his door. "Skeppy."

_"Bad."_

"I need help," he mumbles. "I think I'm going insane, Skeppy," Bad closes his eyes. "I know you're not real, but I can't let you go. I'm sorry."

Skeppy smiles at him, his smile blinding, eyes sparkling. _"I know. It's okay, you don't have to be sorry. It's.."_ he sighs. _"It's my fault, too. I need to go, but..it's hard. I'm sorry, Bad. You deserve better."_ Bad shakes his head, turning to look at him. He's not that solid. He's kind of flickering in and out of reality, but that's okay. It's better than him not being there.

"I couldn't live without you."

 _"You've been living without me for two years, Bad,"_ Skeppy reminds him. _"I'm gone, Bad. I don't exist other than when you make me."_

Bad blinks, frowning. "I..I'm making you?" He whispers, panic hitting him in the chest. "No, no, Skeppy, I don't want to make you do anything. I.." he closes his eyes, balling his hands up into fists. "I'm so sorry."

 _"Stop saying that,"_ Skeppy shakes his head. _"Stop being sorry. Wilbur wants to talk to you. He's worried. I'm worried,"_ he admits. _"I'm worried, Bad. I want you to be okay, and I..that can't happen until I'm gone. You need to move on, Bad. I can't be here anymore. It's not going to work. You and I both know that. For you to move on, I have to go,"_ Skeppy sighs. _"Please, Bad? Remember that game we played? Where you said yes to everything I told you to do for an hour?"_ Bad nods, his heart sinking. _"Let's play that again. Do you want to play that again?"_

"No."

 _"I said,"_ Skeppy repeats, _"do you want to play that again?"_

Bad watches his vision blur, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I..Skeppy, don't do this."

 _"You don't have to if you don't want to,"_ Skeppy smiles. _"Do you want to?"_

"Yes." Bad whispers, his voice cracking, heart shattering. It's just one word, but it means so much more than one thing. Skeppy grins, his smile brighter than the sun, radiating light around him. Skeppy's always been able to do that - light up the room with one smile. Even if nothing should be making him smile. 

_"Good. Alright, Bad. Do you want to move on?"_

"Yes." Bad sobs, squeezing his eyes shut. _No_.

_"Alright. I love you, Bad. Do you want to tell me you love me?"_

"Yes," he whispers. Skeppy stares at him expectantly, looking less tired than he has in a while. "I love you, Skeppy. I love you so much. I love you," Skeppy smiles, and then he's gone. He doesn't fade at all like he normally does, he just disappears entirely. He's gone. "I love you." Bad cries, pulling his knees up to his chest, setting his head on his legs as he cries. The tears are hot and they feel like they're burning him alive, scalding his face, leaving obvious trails down his face.

* * *

"Will, can we..can we talk?" Bad asks, shifting uncomfortably in his suit. He knows he didn't have to wear one to the meeting, but Will suggested it, and Will isn't wrong very often. "Please?"

Will stares at him for a second before he smiles. "Yeah, of course. What's up, Bad?"

"Um," he breathes out. "Why do you treat Dream like you hate him?" He blurts out. "I..he's your best friend, why won't you act like it? Best friends are important, Will, why won't you..why won't you act like you even like him? Do you..would you be sad if he was gone?" Will blinks, shifting back in his chair. 

"Oh. Bad, of course I'd miss him," Will tells him. "I..I love him, Bad. He's my best friend, of course I care about him. But it's how we show it," he swallows. "We're best friends, and we both know that, but we don't..neither of us think we have to be nice to each other to show that," he frowns. "I do love him, Bad. He's my best friend. Without him, I don't.." he shrugs. "It's only been a few months, but he's still already close to me. Please don't worry, Bad. I'm not taking him for granted. I'm not taking my friendship for granted." 

Bad nods, shuffling his feet a little. "Okay. I'm sorry, I..I just.."

"I know. It's okay," Will assures him. "I know. Has he.."

"No," Bad closes his eyes. "He's gone. I let him go," Will stands up, opening his arms. Bad falls into them, tears streaming down his face. "He left a few months ago. I miss him, Will." His voice breaks, and he hates it so much. He hates himself so much, he hates that he let him go. But Skeppy..he wanted it, and Bad knows that he had to. He had to, Skeppy _needed_ it. 

"I'm sorry," Will squeezes him, and Bad feels safe for a second. He loves Will, he loves him. They've been such good friends ever since they met all those years ago. "I love you, Bad. I'm sorry it happened."

"I love you too," Bad smiles. "It's okay," he takes a step back, breathing out. "It's what he wanted. He..I still have him," he presses his hand to his chest, right over his heart. "I just can't see him," he closes his eyes. "Will?"

"Yeah, Bad?"

"Do you think you could ask your dad if he knows where they went?" He asks. "I know that he has some connections, and I was just..wondering, maybe. Maybe if he knew someone in there."

Will nods, quietly mulling it over. "I can ask him, yeah. I'm not sure if he knows anyone from that particular section, but I'll ask. Oh, um," Will breathes out, louder than he has the entire time they've been talking. "Can I tell you something? It needs to be a secret. And kept away from Techno." Bad frowns. 

"But he's your brother."

"I know he is," Will sighs, "but it's important he doesn't know. Not yet. Dad told me to keep it from him for a little bit, until the decision was finalized." Bad nods.

"Okay. What's up, Will?"

"Dad's adopting," he closes his eyes. "Dad's adopting another son. His name is Tommy, and he's sixteen. His parents died recently, mob activity, and we're taking him in. And another boy, too. His name is..it's Tubbo. Techno doesn't know yet, and dad wants to keep it that way until he's sure. So only one of us gets attached." Bad frowns even more, crossing his arms. 

"But..your dad never backs out of anything. _Especially_ not when it comes to his kids. Or future kids. He told me that Techno was raised in the mob and he literally kidnapped him to give him a better life. I mean," Bad laughs, "he still kind of has ties to the mob and all that, but you know what I mean. He won't back out of it. He's probably already made a connection to the both of them. If he even considered it, he decided." Will smiles, ducking his head.

"You're right. I just..I don't want anything to happen to either of them. I met Tommy a month ago, and he's..he's already my little brother, Bad. Tubbo, too, but I connected with Tommy the most. Dad isn't going to back down, you're right, but I'm..I'm scared, Bad. I don't want anything to happen to them, and as soon as Techno finds out about them, as soon as dad tells him, he's going to protect both of them. He'll get involved with anyone he has to to keep them away from danger, and that isn't what they want. Tommy's an aspiring hitman, but he's not doing too well in that department. He'll probably get involved with either politics or come and help me run the company. And Tubbo's taken an interest in what Schlatt does on his side of the company.." he shakes his head. "Techno is going to try to keep them out of this life because they're young. But they don't want to be taken out of it."

Bad nods, quietly listening to his friend speak. "I understand, Will. I get that. I'd..I'd want to keep my little siblings out of this, too. But you need to tell him. Or tell Phil to," he pauses. "You can't keep secrets from family. And Techno is gonna find out either way, and it shouldn't be an accident. He should hear it from either you or your dad. Families should talk to each other, they gotta communicate, right? And your family is really close and tight-knit, you can't let something this important go quiet." Will smiles at him, nodding gently. 

"You know, you're always right, Bad," he laughs. "How do you do it?"

"I just try to be the best person I can be," he grins back, shifting in his suit. It itches. "What's Tommy like?"

Will sighs, throwing his head back as dramatically as he can. "He's a little shit."

"Language."

"Well!" Will laughs. "He _is!_ He's snarky and talks back, he's just like an annoying little brother. He trails me around everywhere, tries to mock me, and I just have to shove him to the ground and then he's done. He's already calling Phil dad. They're already close, and.." he smiles, looking fond. Bad smiles back. He's not really part of Will's "official" family, but they're family nonetheless. Bad's always been there, he was friends with Phil before he actually started to talk to Techno and Will. "He's a good person, Bad. He's not cut out for killing people, but he's a little scoundrel. An absolute gremlin. He'll fit right in with our family."

Bad grins, leaning back on the table. "Good. Now, what're you gonna do when you see your dad again?" Will sighs.

"Tell him to tell Techno."

"Good," he beams. "I love you, Will. You should introduce me to them."

"I will," he promises. "I love you too, Bad, are-" he frowns, his phone ringing. "Dream. What the hell does he want?" 

"Wilbur," Bad watches as he puts the phone on speaker. "Hi."

"I'm busy," Will rolls his eyes. "What do you want?"

Dream sighs. "I need a ride. I'm in the middle of nowhere, and I don't have any money on me. Send me a ride?" Will stares at the phone, then he looks back up at Bad, an eyebrow raised.

"You're a fucking menace to society, Dream."

" _Language._ "

"Fuck you. It'll be there in five minutes. What did you do?"

"Will!" Bad whisper-shouts, narrowing his eyes at his friend. Will just grins at him, like the little muffin he is. 

"It's unimportant. Thanks, Soot. Love you."

"Fuck you."

"Oh my goodness, Will," Bad closes his eyes. "You're gonna give me a heart attack. Stop swearing so much." 

"Can't help it," he laughs. "Bad. Could you go get him for me? You know where he lives." 

Bad rolls his eyes, but he nods. "Of course I will. Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah, I'm tracking his phone. I'll text you the location." 

"Got it," he grins. "I'll be back! Tell your dad!"

"I will!" Will promises, shouting after him. Bad stalks out of the office, preparing to meet Dream for the first time.


	3. flowers

Bad knows that this isn't the best way to go about his problems, but it helps. And if it helps, then that's all the reason he needs. He talked to Will a lot after Will took care of George, which was nice of him. He also talked to Phil, which was even more important. He's known Phil for the majority of his life, and he's really glad that he has. Phil's kind of like his dad, even if he's not sure he'd consider Bad to be his son. Which is okay, it's not that big of a deal, anyways. Bad shakes his head, refocusing on the area in front of him. He smiles when he spots the sleeping bodies scattered around the abandoned factory, a few of them on guard. Bad flips up his hood, pulling out his knife from his pocket. He could use his gun, but this is personal, isn't it? And knives are up close and you get to look people in the eyes when you use them. That's personal. That's what he wants. Bad stalks forwards, keeping his head down, staring at the ground. "Hey," a voice calls out, one of the guards, probably. "Who-" Bad flicks his wrist, knife soaring into the man's throat. He's cut off with a gurgle, a cry. Then there's silence. But only for a second, because everything ends up erupting into chaos, which is okay. That's what Bad wanted, anyways. 

He calmly, casually walks forwards, yanking the knife out of the man's throat, slamming his fist into another guard's face, hard enough to shatter his nose entirely. Maybe burst a blood vessel. He leans over the guard, gently setting his foot down on his neck. "Bye," Bad beams, and the guard doesn't really have much time to react before there's a crunch, a shattering of bones. He smells smoke, grinning a little. Good to know that Techno kept up his end of the deal. Bad turns away from the factory, closing his eyes for a second. Half a second later he feels heat on his back, smoke in his lungs. He opens his eyes, turning back to face the factory, smiling. It's entirely on fire, explosions popping off from every direction. His ears are ringing, but that's alright. It's worth it. "I know you're gone," Bad breathes in, "but hi, Skeppy. I'm sorry that you didn't get to do this yourself." 

There's no reply.

What did he expect?

Bad shakes his head, sniffling a little. He misses him. He misses Skeppy so, so much. He misses his best friend. His partner. His..Skeppy was his everything, and then he was just..gone. Bad never thought that could happen. He never thought Skeppy could die. They never believed that they could die. Death was just a fable, a tale told to scare them off. Bad knew it was real, _obviously._ Death was not a mystery. He killed people for a living, death was obviously a real thing. But he never thought that it could happen to someone like Skeppy. He always thought Skeppy was above death. Because he _was_. There were so many situations where he should've died, but he just..didn't. And the same thing for him, too. He should've been dead by now, Bad thinks. He wishes it had been him that died instead of Skeppy. But it's too late for that now. He can't just die, not anymore. Not when he has people to live for. Not when he has Skeppy's memory to live on for. The factory smells _awful_ , but he's not sure what he expected. Bad starts to walk, knowing very well that the person who killed his best friend is inside that factory. He presses the door open, wincing as it squeaks. He sighs, taking a left once he gets in the factory. The smoke isn't that bad yet, and he's definitely got time. He keeps walking, taking a right, a left, and another right. He's studied this place, he knows all the ins and outs. He made sure that there was _no_ way he'd get lost. 

"Hi," Bad grins, spotting the man who killed his best friend. Rage bubbles up inside of him, his chest constricting, eyes burning. He's not sure if that's the smoke or if he's about to cry, but it doesn't matter. "You killed Skeppy."

"Fuck you."

"Language," he glares at the man, gripping his knife a little harder. "Why?" He feels his voice break, his throat burning. "Why did you do it? He didn't deserve it. He..he was the nicest person alive, he didn't..." 

The man snarls at him, leg trapped under a piece of metal. It's probably melting now, which Bad hopes it is. He deserves all the pain he gets. He deserves it. "You're a fucking serial killer! He was even worse, you.." he shakes his head, a bark of laughter filling the air. "You're delusional."

"I know," Bad smiles. He _does_ know. That's okay, he's come to terms with it. "But I don't really think that excuses what you did," he sets his foot on the beam of metal, pressing down. The man cries out, a broken, high-pitched whine. _Good_. "He didn't suffer, but he knew he was gonna die," Bad tells him. "I like giving people fair chances, right? I don't like it when people are cornered and can't fight for themselves. That's not how it should be. But," he smiles. "I think I'll make an exception for you. Just this one time," Bad crouches down, tracing the knife against the man's arm. "We've got a couple minutes before I need to go," he beams. "Maybe ten? Don't worry, you'll be dead by then, I promise. But maybe.." he giggles, "maybe you'll wish that you hadn't killed my best friend."

* * *

Bad breathes out, his knees hitting the wet ground. Thankfully it's not that muddy, it's mostly just grass. He's always liked the rain, actually. 

Skeppy liked the rain, too. 

He sets the flowers down at his grave, a dozen roses, a couple orchids. Skeppy never told him what kind of flowers he liked, or if he even liked them, but..Bad hopes that he'll like these. He thinks that he will - Skeppy always liked gifts. "Hi, Skeppy," Bad smiles, tracing his fingers over the headstone. "I'm sorry I haven't come to visit in a month. I..it's kind of hard, you know?" He pauses. "I think you do. I think it'd be the same if our places were switched, right? Will told me that he came out to visit you," Bad taps his finger on the headstone, feeling the cool granite. Is it granite? Bad's not sure. "I'm not sure if he talks as much as I do, but maybe that's for the best," he laughs. "I'm sorry. I know I never shut up when I come to say hi. I'm sorry if you want peace and quiet. I don't like being out here and not saying anything. But maybe you like hearing my voice?" He pauses, hopeful for a reaction. There's nothing. "Yeah. I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't expect that much. I know you're resting, but it's hard,"

"It's really hard," Bad ducks his head, closing his eyes. "I love you, Skeppy. I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you in time. But I hope you know I tried. I tried really hard, Skeppy. I promise I did. Oh, and!" He grins. "Good news. I, uh, I killed him," Bad smiles. "For you. I know that it's not a lot, but it kinda felt nice. Maybe if you two are in the same place you can beat him up or something," he laughs. "You know, Skeppy," he breathes out. "There's a lot of good people in my life, now. There are two more, actually! Their names are Dream and George, and they're really nice. George fell in love with Dream a long time ago, and Dream's in love with him, too, but they're kind of stupid," he grins. "Oblivious, you know? That's what everyone called us. But we weren't.." he shakes his head. "Were we? I don't know. I love you, I know that. I know that you loved me. Maybe we were. I don't know," he admits. "Maybe. Um," Bad pauses. "I'll come and visit more often, Skeppy. I promise,"

"I hope that you're doing okay," Bad smiles. "I really do. I think you are. If you weren't, you'd probably do something about it, huh? You never really just sat back and let things happen. I hope you're not swearing as much. I know that you liked to and all that, but it's _ridiculous_ , Skeppy. I..it was nice, though. I guess. Hearing your voice was really nice, even if you weren't saying nice things. That's okay," he sighs. "You were just like that, weren't you, Skeppy? Anyways, I think Techno's come to visit you. I know that you two were really good friends, even if you pretended like you couldn't stand each other. I'm glad you two got close, Skeppy. Really. It was nice to come home and hear you guys bickering over something," he grins. "It was nice. I..I'll introduce you to Dream and George. They'll come out here eventually, I promise. I really think you'd like them, especially Dream. I think you guys would've been close, too. Oh! And Tommy and Tubbo! Phil adopted two little boys. I mean, I guess they're not _little_. They're both sixteen, so they're not really boys, but..you get it, right? Tommy swears a lot, too. I think you would've liked him, Skeppy. And Tubbo. He's really nice, too."

Bad stands up, adjusting the flowers on Skeppy's grave. "Well, um," he brushes down his pants, dirt caking his knees. "I gotta go, Skeppy. Dream and George invited me over for lunch, and I don't wanna miss it. As soon as it's done, I swear I'll come back, okay? I love you." 

He turns, starts to walk. He hears the rain pattering down on him, droplets sliding off of the trees. It's spring, he thinks. At least, it's almost spring. Everything is green and bright and beautiful, and..Bad sighs. He misses him. He really, really misses Skeppy. Of course he does, Skeppy was his everything. But as he moves, exiting the graveyard, he swears he can hear the wind whispering to him. 

_"I love you too, Bad."_


End file.
